Nutcombe Bottom, Tall Trees Trail

Walking into Nutcombe Bottom feels like stepping into someone's secret. This wooded valley near Minehead is properly green - the sort of place where you half expect to bump into hobbits. The Tall Trees Trail threads through tall conifers and broadleaf woodland, and if you time it right (autumn's best), the canopy turns into shades you didn't know existed.

It's not a dramatic hike - more a proper amble that rewards walkers without demanding mountaineering kit. The trail's gentle enough for families with older kids, though younger ones might find the muddy bits tedious. Allow 45 minutes to an hour depending on how often you stop to peer at the woodland floor or listen to birdsong. There's something therapeutic about it, honestly. No cafe, no facilities, just trees and quiet.

Free to visit - this is one of those straightforward Somerset woodland walks that doesn't ask for your wallet. From Minehead Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or Butlins Minehead, you're barely twenty minutes away. Hoburne Blue Anchor Holiday Park sits even closer. It's the sort of place to fit between the seaside attractions - a palate cleanser rather than the main event. Go midweek if you can. Weekends draw the school groups, and somehow that changes the mood entirely. Best visited between May and October when the undergrowth won't completely swallow your ankles.